


Jee, Qibli, How Come Your Mom Lets You Have a Marriage?

by hollyus, whichlights



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Dragons, M/M, Mutual Pining, aka the au where qinter is canon like they deserve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 10:26:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12010791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyus/pseuds/hollyus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/whichlights/pseuds/whichlights
Summary: "We'll probably end up married someday."Well, when has Qibli ever been wrong?





	1. Wow Thorn That's a Great Idea Let Me Talk To My Partner Here- He Says No

The Kingdom of Sand was without a doubt the best place to live. Qibli took a deep breath in. It was a still day, with a slight breeze blowing the smell of brightsting cactus up into the open air courtyard of the castle.

If Qibli flew up to the top of the castle towers, he could see for miles in all directions, and spend all day watching the sand shift. But he wasn’t doing that because he had a duty to his queen.

“Qibli?”

Qibli immediately whipped around to the owner of the voice. It was Thorn. He bowed. “Yes, my queen?”

She flicked his ear. “Cut that out, I’m  _ Thorn _ .”

“Of course. And what do you need?” Qibli asked, coming up from his bow.

“I’ve been thinking, we should strengthen our relationship with the IceWings. How should we do that?”

“I know an IceWing.” Qibli offered. “We’re friends.”

“One friendly IceWing does not make an alliance. Besides, isn’t Winter pretty much banished?”

“Not technically. He can go back sometimes if it’s a special occasion.”

“Do you think his family wants him back?” Thorn questioned.

“Well, depends, I don’t know what he did to be forced out. Also, your majesty, I don’t think bargaining with the IceWings for the prince will strengthen our relationships.”

“No, no. I was thinking a little bit more..marriage necklace?”

“What?” Qibli paused as Thorn’s eyes bore into him. “I don’t think Winter would be willing to marry Sunny and she’s also much too older than him.”

“No, not Sunny, of course not, Qibli.”

“It can’t be Onyx, because she’s definitely too old for him. Then there’s Ostrich- shit right Winter’s gay. That rules out any royal dragons, and the only SandWing in a high enough position so that a marriage doesn’t insult the IceWings that’s also Winter’s age is.. me? ME?”

Thorn smiled awkwardly. “Precisely?”

“ _ What?” _

“I’m thinking of an arranged marriage for you two, if that’s alright?”

“I’ll do anything for you, Thorn, but just. What?”

“You’re willing to do it?”

“Like I said, I’d do anything for you, but what?”

“You’re willing to do it?”

“Like I said, I’d do anything for you, but what?”

“Splendid! I’ll leave you to warm up to it a little more?” Thorn suggested.

“Have you asked Winter?” Qibli asked quickly.

“Well, you have to ask him. You know he’s in the Sanctuary with his scavengers.” Thorn shrugged. “I won’t force you two into a marriage without both providing consent, of course. How about you fo ask him after you warm up to the marriage idea?”

“A..alright. I can do that now?” Qibli stuttered. Thorn smiled in response and whacked his shoulder gently with her tail.

“Go get him, Tiger.” Thorn said affectionately.

“I’m not sure that this is the right context in which that phrase would be used-” Qibli started, but Thorn had already walked away. He guessed he was traveling alone to the sanctuary.

Still a bit dazed, he started, taking off into the skies, hoping that he hadn’t misread Thorn’s ‘instructions’.

* * *

 

“Three moons, what am I doing?” Qibli muttered to himself as he wandered through Sanctuary. “I’m a SandWing, advisor to the queen. I shouldn’t be so worked up over this."

“...Qibli?”

Qibli’s head snapped up. “Winter!”

Winter nodded hello, with food dangling from his mouth and fruits littered around, seemingly feeding his scavengers.

“And where’s my favorite scavenger?” Qibli gushed turning to one of the scavengers, grinning as he nicked a strawberry from a small silver plate. He tentatively shoved the strawberry in the scavenger's face. The scavenger hesitated but quickly took it, running off a few yards away but not too far away. “Love you, Hay.” Qibli grinned

“What’s up?” Winter demanded.

“What do you mean?” Qibli chuckled nervously.

“Usually you coo to Hay first before greeting me. And I know you saw Hay before bumping into me.”

“Maybe I just missed you.”

“Don’t joke around with me. In Qibli body language, that means you were looking for me specifically.” Winter snarled, however having gotten a little flustered at the possibility that Qibli had missed him.

“Well, uh...” Qibli readied himself to ask Winter..that...

“So, d’you wanna marry me?” Qibli asked.

Winter’s jaw dropped, and one of his wings started twitching. “That- that’s not funny,” he spluttered, his face turning dark blue with what Qibli assumed was the IceWing version of a blush.

“I wasn’t joking.”

“I repeat, this isn’t funny!” Winter said nervously.

“Do I have to say it again? WIll you marry me, oh great Winter?” Qibli snorted. Winter almost dropped the food he was holding. “Okay, but seriously, Thorn wants to put us in an arranged marriage. To strengthen bonds with the IceWings.

“But I’m basically banished there.” Winter reasoned.

“That’s what I said, but hey, THorn thinks it could work and who am I to deny her?” Qibli shrugged, the shock from before slowly creeping up on him again as he realized what he was asking of Winter again

Winter huffed. “I see, you’re just doing what Thorn wants.”

“That’s not fair!”

“It’s marriage for the love of Pyrrhia! You can’t just... just... just show up and ask me to be bound to you for life because it would make THORN happy!”

“It’s-” Qibli panicked. “It’s to improve relations between IceWings and SandWings! Not just Thorn!”

“Like you said, you didn’t think twice when Thorn said to marry me, a technically banished IceWing!” Winter snapped. “Marriage should be genuine! Arranged marriages is what drove away our last animus in the first place! And have you considered how young we are?”

Qibli was at a loss for words. He knew Winter would be stubborn but he didn’t think he would be THIS worked up about it.

“Winter-”

“If I say I’ll think about it, will it make you stop talking about it?” Winter said sourly.

“I don’t think Thorn will be pleased with a ‘he’ll think about it’ but rather a, uh, solid no or yes.” Qibli said nervously.

“Thorn this, Thorn that. Think for yourself!”

“Winter, I want to marry you!” Qibli burst out.

Winter gave him a chilling, handsomely angsty face. “You want to marry me because of Thorn. That’s not why you’re supposed to want it.

“Is that a no?” Qibli asked “Cause a no’s perfectly fine.” Qibli was getting a little frustrated. Just say yes or no- it’s not that complicated.

Winter growled softly in response. All the scavengers except one tinier one started to retreat in the face of his bad mood. He scrambled after them. “Wait- no- I’m not going to hurt you. They had already gone, though. His bad mood worsened and he whipped around to face Qibli, eye twitching.

Qibli pointed to his twitching eye. “So is that a no?” Winter huffed and looked away. “I don’t understand why you keep avoiding a solid no if you’re so upset about this.”

Winter sighed. “Just please let me think about it. Just give me the rest of the day to think.

“Oh, yah, sure, so should I stay in Sanctuary until then?”

Drop by my place.” Winter grumbled uninvitingly.

Qibli nodded, grinning awkwardly. Well, he’s survived the worst of the conversation. Winter softened his features and called out for his scavengers, and eventually they slowly came out of hiding. He crouched down and gave them fruit. As he was feeding them he looked at peace. It was oddly adorable.

“Do you feed your scavengers meat?” Qibli asked.

“Well, Kinkajou sometimes drops by with a lot of fruit so I’ve been mostly feeding them off of that but if I’m lucky when Turtle comes he brings actually cooked meat, mostly fish.” Winter rambled slightly. The scavengers finished feeding. Qibli continued asking him questions and talking with him throughout the afternoon.

They were walking in silence when Winter said, “yes.”

“Yes what? I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, I’ll marry you. Don’t get too excited.”

Qibli resisted the urge to beam and jump up and down in circles and flap his wings without flying. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I suppose we should start planning.”

“Wait, planning?”

“For the wedding?”

“Why do we need to plan?”

“Three moons- it’s OUR wedding, Qibli.” Winter snapped.

“Well, yeah, true...” Qibli muttered.

“You didn’t think about what would happen after I accepted, did you?” Winter said, exasperated.

“Uh...”

“You thought Thorn would take the wheel after that, didn’t you?”

“Ah, uh...”

“Well it’s my wedding too, and I am not letting Thorn plan it.” Winter said gruffly.

“Well, I don’t get why we need to PLAN. We just pick a day and swap necklaces, right?”

“What.” Winter couldn’t even make it a question.

“Um, that’s the bare minimum of SandWing weddings? I mean sometimes there’s a speech, or fancy decor, but really...” Qibli stopped talking when he saw the look on Winter’s face.

Winter raised his wings, offended. “Excuse me?”

“What, do you IceWings have the most sparkliest weddings ever with most expensive ice statues with pampered guests and little sandwiches? The most heartfelt and longest speeches ever and decorated to the point where the  _ door _ is the most fancy door you’ve ever seen? The most expensive priests you can afford?” Qibli said sarcastically. 

“...Well, yes, precisely, except for the little sandwiches part, we have meat.”

Qibli’s jaw dropped. “What? Is the meat expensive too?”

‘Yes, prepared by the finest chefs. And this is just middle circle weddings, and if you’re so shocked by that, then imagine first circle and royalty weddings.” Winter huffed. “Why are you so surprised? It’s one of the most important events in your life.”

“I can’t do that. All that... formality?”

“But it’s one of the most important events in your entire life.”

“Which is why it’s important to be comfortable!”

“It being fancy is comfortable!”

“Not to me!”

“Your cave-living ways aren’t comfortable to me either.”

“Then let’s meet at a middle point?”

“...Fine.”

They spent the next thirty or so minutes listing aspects of their culture's weddings and meeting a middle point in...some of them.

“Dude, no, we’re not going to have ice sculptures, we’re inviting Peril, remember? Why can’t we just go along with rock sculptures?

“...How about we just don’t invite Peril?”

“Dude,  _ no. _ ”

Among many other arguments.

The sky was quickly darkening and Winter said, “Threeeee moons. Can you fly in the dark?”

“SandWings don’t have night vision, Winter.”

Winter sighed. “I guess you’re staying overnight then.”

Qibli grinned awkwardly. “Yup!”

“Don’t make me regret this.”

“I can get some of the stuff I need for the wedding here anyways. Be back in a sec.”

Qibli dashed away, wondering what in the world he’d gotten himself into.


	2. Arguments. Great Pyrrhia, So Many Arguments.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter huffed. “You don’t want it fancy-”  
> “It doesn’t need to be fancy!”  
> “It’s one of the most important days in our lives, Qibli!”  
> “But that just means we should be comfortable with what’s happening, Winter!”

For the fourth time in the past ten minutes, they were fighting.

“I’m telling you, it doesn’t need to be  _ at sunrise _ !” Qibli threw his arms into the air. “Three moons, it’s not that important!”

“It is!” Winter insisted. “It symbolizes a new beginning! You said yourself SandWings don’t care when their wedding is!”

“But it’s  _ usually  _ at dusk! Winter, this is the desert, it’s  _ hot _ .”

Winter huffed. “You don’t want it fancy-”

“It doesn’t  _ need  _ to be fancy!”

“It’s one of the most important days in our lives, Qibli!”

“But that just means we should be comfortable with what’s happening, Winter!”

“Oh, for Phyrria’s sake,” Moon sighed from her chair. “How much longer do I have to listen to this?”

“Until we get married.” Qibli said.

Moon groaned and turned back to her scroll. 

Thorn had offered them whatever they needed, but wanted them to work out the details for themselves. Which was going  _ smashingly _ , because  _ obviously _ Winter was just  _ soooo  _ cooperative.

_ Sarcasm intended _ .

The only thing they’d decided was that the wedding was going to happen, and in the Kingdom of Sand. Winter was mad about that- apparently ice was an important part of IceWing weddings. Qibli pointed out they couldn’t exactly go to the Ice Palace, and it was the  _ desert _ , so Winter relented on the ice thing.

He wouldn’t relent on his fancy sandwiches, or his fancy officiant, or his precise decour. And he  _ definitely  _ wouldn’t budge on the  _ time _ .

Qibli sighed. “How about this? Compromise?”

“But-”

“Look, if we try to make something that one of us will adore completely, the other will hate it. So let’s find an idea that we both hate equally?”

Winter huffed. “I want it to be at sunrise.”

“But then we’re stuck with everything that comes after in the middle of the day.”

“There doesn’t need to be a big party after.”

“Uh, yah there does,” Qibli said, wondering how their roles had been reversed. “People want to celebrate us!”

“That’s why the wedding itself is so fancy!”

Qibli sighed again. “Fine, fine. How about a  _ moderate  _ party? It doesn’t get really hot until around noon.”

“Fine, I guess.” Winter scowled.

“I don’t want all your stiff traditions,” Qibli said. “I don’t want to worry about what side we’re facing, or if I pause right between my words, or not stuttering on my vows.”

“Please don’t stutter your vows.”

“My  _ point _ is, can it be a little more relaxed? It doesn’t have to be exactly like a typical SandWing wedding, those are so chill- haha, chill -but… maybe just a little more relaxed?”

“What’s a typical wedding for SandWings?”

“The dragons show up, all their friends come, they publicly swap necklaces, they say yes to the ‘priest’- probably their closest friend- and boom. Married. Then everyone parties.”

Winter sighed in relief. “SandWings do necklaces too.”

“Yes! Finally, something we can  _ agree  _ on!” Qibli cheered. 

“IceWings buy the nicest necklace they can find.”

“Aaaand there it goes.” Qibli wished this could be easier. “SandWings make each other necklaces. It’s personal.”

Winter blinked. “Really?”

“Really!”

“How about I buy my necklace, and you make your’s?” Winter offered. “Would that be okay, or do we need to start over again?”

Qibli thought about it. He’d always wanted to wear a necklace that had been  _ made  _ for him, by the dragon he loved, but if this is what it took… “I’d be okay with that.”

“I’m so glad you’re making progress,” Moon cheered half-heartedly. Qibli nodded at her.

“Do you have any licensed officiants in the Kingdom of Sand?” Winter asked.

“You can ask Queen Thorn, she would probably know.”

“I will. Where will this be?”

“Probably the Palace courtyard.”

“Can we set up an arch? It doesn’t have to have all the carvings and details, just… I’d feel better with an arch.”

“Alright,” Qibli said after a pause. Arches, he supposed, weren’t  _ that _ bad. “No chairs, though. You’re supposed to stand and cheer, and you know… it’s better if you stand, is all.”

“Optional chairs.”

“How would they be optional?”

“One side has chairs, one doesn’t.”

“Alright, alright. Optional chairs. It’s gonna look stupid.” Qibli grumbled half-heartedly. “No over decorating the chairs though.” Winter huffed in response.

“Who walks up to who?” Winter asked. “Who walks up to the altar, and who is already standing there?”

“What are you talking about? In SandWing weddings, both parties walk to an area in the center.”

Winter rolled his eyes. “Alright, we can do that. Do you have a special dragon that carries the necklaces?”

“No? We made the damn necklaces, we’re carrying the damn necklaces?”

“IceWings have a small dragonet, usually a relative of one party, carry the necklaces. It makes them feel included.”

“Moon’s not a  _ small  _ dragonet, but can she do it?” Qibli asked. “I’ll do that thing if it’s Moon.”

“I’m okay with it if Winter is,” Moon called without looking up from her scroll.

Winter’s spines bristled. “Okay.”

Kinkajou ran into the room, grinning. “Hey! Are you guys done planning yet? Am I the flower dragon?”

“The what?” Winter blinked.

“Kinkajou, my idea of a marriage ceremony takes place in a desert, and Winter’s in an icy wasteland. No flowers are involved.”

“Uh...Cactus flowers?” Kinkajou suggested weakly. Winter gave her a look.

“I thought RainWings didn’t do marriage?” Moon asked.

“Well, they didn’t use to,” Kinkajou rambled. “But Glory is reviving the old tradition! There was a dragon that threw flowers everywhere and made everything colorful! Can I do that? Can I?”

“Absolutely not,” Winter said at the same time Qibli said, “Sure, why not?”

Winter and Qibli looked at each other. “Oh, come on, would it  _ kill  _ you?” Qibli teased.

Winter huffed. “Fine. But only blues, and oranges, and flowers that are in  _ colorscheme _ . If I see a single pink, I will tie your tail to an icicle.”

Kinkajou was ecstatic, turning a bright yellow with hot pink polka dots. “Yay! Thank you!”

“See, that’s exactly the type of color I want to avoid.”

Kinkajou ignored Winter. “Is Moon doing anything special?”

“Carrying the necklaces,” Qibli said.

“Can Turtle do something?”

Winter sighed. “Well, he is a prince. If there’s no officiant….”

“And he  _ is  _ a close friend,” Qibli pointed out.

“He can be the officiant, to marry us, if he wants to.” Winter decided. Qibli nodded in agreement.

“Glad to see you two are agreeing for once!” Moon said cheerfully.

“We’ve agreed on multiple things!” Qibli complained.

“Yeah, but in comparison to the things you  _ haven’t  _ agreed about...” Kinkajou pointed out.

“Oh shut up.” Qibli grumbled. “Fiancé, defend us.”

“Don’t just call me fiancé!” Winter scowled. He said nothing else, obviously knowing he couldn’t disagree with Kinkajou and Moon.

“Whatever.”

\---

Qibli looked for the perfect materials for  _ forever _ . He knew full well that whatever he made would clash with Winter’s scales, but he wanted to make his necklace like he always had. Something shiny, warm, and glittering with goldstone and copper wires.

He spent all night twisting the wires together, and thought about why he was marrying Winter. Yes, for the alliance, but Qibli wouldn’t have married just  _ anyone _ . He definitely wouldn’t have married Icicle.

He wanted to marry Winter.

_ We’ll probably end up married some day _ , he’d told his mother. He wondered if she’d heard about his upcoming wedding.

It was scheduled for a week from today, at sunrise, with all the little details worked out, the guest list made, and now Qibli just had to make his necklace.

Qibli wasn’t sure exactly why the idea of marrying Winter was so appealing. Yes, Winter was handsome, and they were friends, but Qibli thought Turtle was handsome and they were friends, but he didn’t want to marry Turtle.

For a fleeting moment, Qibli wondered if he had a crush on Winter.

Then he shoved that thought to the  _ very  _ back of his skull, because this was just for an alliance, Winter only agreed for an alliance. It wouldn’t do Qibli any good to have a crush on him, especially since they were going to be married in a week.

Whatever. whatever.  _ whatever. _

He forced himself to stop thinking, as he almost poked himself with the tiny intricate metals of the necklace. He put it down, and looked at the time. It was very late. He’d go to sleep now, and stop thinking about Winter.

(If he dreamed about Winter, he was going to fight the moons.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c dragays
> 
> rose's tumblr - witchlightsands
> 
> holly's tumblr - general-nartis

**Author's Note:**

> check us out at witchlightsands and general-nartis


End file.
